Data security incidents pose a major operational and financial risk for business and government. In examples, data security incidents include loss of a physical asset, such as a company laptop computer, that contains company-confidential information and cyber attacks launched against systems and assets of a company's enterprise network.
Examples of cyber attacks include actions designed to disrupt normal business operations and intrusion attempts to steal information. Attacks that disrupt business operations include introduction of malware, computer viruses, and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. The intrusion attempts use various methods to gain unauthorized access to personal information of individuals, and company confidential information such as customer lists and business plans. Attackers use methods that target security vulnerabilities in computer operating systems and software within the business' enterprise network to obtain unauthorized access.
Businesses use incident management systems to track and recommend responses to data security incidents in their enterprise computer networks. Current incident management systems and methods typically provide the ability for Incident Response Team (IRT) personnel to track how the institution is responding to incidents.